Learning Lessons: Episode 1, What If…?

My study group is going through a multi-media study called AHA based on a book by Kyle Idleman. In it, after the third video there are five days of assignments with elements for morning and evening. I’m going to start using this blog to complete my homework. I figure after the ‘parable’ it can be something more than exposition and postulation about Scripture.

My choice of ‘Aha’ moment is based on my blog entry from August 18, “The Temptation of Gluttony?” I chose this one because it was the most striking to me of my insights from Scripture. Also because it only got one ‘like’ and no comments. Which means that it didn’t resonate with anyone else the way it did for me.

In this assignment, I look at the ‘alarm’ that God is using to ‘wake me up.’ AHA is made up of ‘Awakening’, ‘Honesty’, and ‘Action’. In this instance, the alarm is the realization that the first temptation isn’t really about obeying the devil, but really about being self-sufficient. It was realizing that Jesus didn’t do even what He could do, but chose to be humbly dependent upon His Father. That’s the alarm, the realization of what this temptation is about: the temptation to be self-sufficient.

If I ignore this alarm, what is the best possible scenario?

If I ignore this realization about the sin of self-sufficiency then I will continue to experience life with the philosophy that I’m responsible for what I can do, and God is responsible for what I can’t. I will continue to live as if He and I work together, something like equals each with our part of the tasks to be responsible for. I can expect to experience a measure of success as I am able to accomplish various things on my own.

I will experience the same level of God’s power in my life that I have so far. I will experience the same depth in my prayers to my Master. I can even expect that I will continue to experience the same depth of understanding of Scripture, at least in the details, if not the insight. The life I live now before my Master will continue at the same level, no deeper, but possibly no more shallow either.

My marriage may be the same, my relationship with my daughter may be the same, and my service at church will probably remain the same. I doubt I will appear much different to anyone, or even to myself. I will live tied to the belief that I must do what I can in my relationship with God.

I suppose this isn’t bad or even ‘evil’ really. But it doesn’t leave me enthused for the future. And this is the best possible outcome I can imagine.